Tactical carrier with rapidly accessible pouch

ABSTRACT

A rapid access pouch system includes an outer pouch having an inner storage compartment defined by a front surface, a back surface, two closed side surfaces, an open end, and a closed end. An inner tray is sized and shaped to fit within the inner storage compartment. The inner tray is semi-rigid. The inner tray includes a handle that protrudes out of the open end of the inner storage compartment when the inner tray is positioned inside the outer pouch. The open end of the outer pouch comprises a closing mechanism operably adapted for rapidly converting the outer pouch between an open configuration and a closed configuration. One or more outer storage pockets are fixedly attached to the front surface of the outer pouch, and the outer storage pockets have openings that are adjacent to the closed end of the outer pouch.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/318,497 filed on Mar. 10, 2022, entitled “Tactical Carrier with Rapidly Accessible Pouch,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Field of the Art

This disclosure relates generally to tactical equipment. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a multi-purpose tactical carrier having a rapidly accessible outer pouch and a semi-rigid interior tray.

Discussion of the State of the Art

Space claim on tactical equipment is a premium. Many times, tactical personnel will leave vital equipment off their load carrying systems in place of prioritized equipment. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a tactical carrier that includes multiple load carriage components, thereby creating more space on a load carriage system.

Secure retention of items within a tactical carrier is critical to ensure that items are not lost or misplaced and to ensure that items are where they are supposed to be when they are needed. Accessibility is also critical so that items can be quickly and easily accessed when needed. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a tactical carrier with multiple load carriage components, each of which securely retains items and neither of which hinders access to items associated with the other load carriage components.

SUMMARY

The present invention comprises a tactical carrier that includes multiple types of load carriage components. In some embodiments, a first type of load carriage component is a magazine carrier or any other protruding carrier now known or later developed. In some embodiments, a second type of load carriage component is a rapidly accessible pocket or other compartment (herein each a “rapidly accessible pouch”). The rapidly accessible pouch is defined by an outer shell of the tactical carrier and is configured to hold one or more items, such as one or more individual items and/or one or more groups of items. In some embodiments, the one or more items are kits, such as first aid kits, blood donor kits, landing zone kits, squad leader kits, specialized ammo kits, and the like. By combining multiple types of load carriage components, the tactical carrier of the present invention is able to provide additional load carriage components, thereby creating more space on a load carriage system.

The tactical carrier includes a closure system for securing the rapidly accessible pouch in a closed configuration, thereby securing items within. In some embodiments, the closure system includes an opening mechanism for quickly and easily moving the rapidly accessible pouch from the closed configuration to an open configuration, thereby providing easy access to items within. Moving the rapidly accessible pouch from its closed to open configurations does not hinder access to items associated with the magazine carriers, and accessing the magazine carriers does not hinder access to items in the rapidly accessible pouch.

A rapid access pouch system includes an outer pouch having an inner storage compartment defined by a front surface, a back surface, two closed side surfaces, an open end, and a closed end. The rapid access pouch system further includes an inner tray that is sized and shaped to fit within the inner storage compartment. The inner tray is semi-rigid. The inner tray includes a handle that protrudes out of the open end of the inner storage compartment when the inner tray is positioned inside the outer pouch. The open end of the outer pouch includes a closing mechanism operably adapted for rapidly converting the outer pouch between an open configuration and a closed configuration.

One or more outer storage pockets may be fixedly attached to the front surface of the outer pouch, and the outer storage pockets may have openings adjacent to the closed end of the outer pouch. The outer storage pockets on the outer pouch may be sized and shaped to hold a magazine of ammunition. The outer storage pockets may include retaining mechanisms for holding the magazine in place in the outer storage pockets. A scissors pouch may be positioned between one of the outer storage pockets and the front surface of the outer pouch. The scissors pouch may be sized and shaped for holding a pair of scissors therein and may have an opening adjacent to the open end of the outer pouch.

The inner tray may further include a plurality of elastic straps fixedly coupled to a base to create a plurality of elastic loops that are sized and shaped to hold a plurality of items in place on the inner tray.

The closing mechanism may be a rip cord, snaps, magnets, and/or a hook and loop closure.

The outer pouch may further include a plurality of offset tabs around a perimeter of the open end, and the closing mechanism may be a rip cord system having a rip cord, a pull tab, and a retaining cord. The rip cord may be woven through the offset tabs when the outer pouch is in the closed configuration. The rip cord system may be fixedly attached to the outer pouch with the retaining cord. The outer pouch may transition from the closed configuration to the open configuration by pulling the pull tab to remove the rip cord from the offset tabs.

The back surface of the outer pouch may include an attachment mechanism configured for attaching the outer pouch to a belt or a garment. The attachment mechanism may include a plurality of straps configured for attaching the outer pouch to a MOLLE system. In another example, the attachment mechanism may include a plurality of loops fixedly coupled to the back surface of the outer pouch, and the plurality of loops may be configured for removably coupling the outer pouch to a belt.

The inner tray further may include a strap that is sized and shaped for wrapping around a user's leg so that the inner tray is configured to be removably attached to the user's leg.

The system may further include a tourniquet carrier. The tourniquet carrier may be removably attached to one of the side surfaces of the outer pouch.

The outer pouch may include a plurality of outer storage pockets, and each one of the outer storage pockets may be sized and shaped to hold a magazine of ammunition.

The system may further include a safety pull that is fixedly coupled to the inner tray and configured to be removably coupled to the outer pouch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawings illustrate several embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention according to the embodiments. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the particular arrangements illustrated in the drawings are merely exemplary and are not to be considered as limiting of the scope of the invention or the claims herein in any way.

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a rapid access pouch system in a disassembled configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of a rapid access pouch system in an assembled configuration with ammunition magazines positioned in the magazine holders, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a rapid access pouch system in an assembled configuration with ammunition magazines positioned in the magazine holders, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an outer pouch and an inner tray of a rapid access pouch system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an outer pouch and an inner tray of a rapid access pouch system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views of an outer pouch, an inner tray, and a rip cord closing mechanism of a rapid access pouch system in an open configuration and a closed configuration, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front plan view of an outer pouch and an inner tray of a rapid access pouch system in an assembled configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of an outer pouch of a rapid access pouch system in an open configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of an outer pouch of a rapid access pouch system in an open configuration with an inner tray disposed therein, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 10-12 illustrate a scissors pocket of a rapid access pouch system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate a tourniquet carrier of a rapid access pouch system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are front and back plan views, respectively, of an inner tray of a rapid access pouch system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an inner tray attached to a curved surface, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a front plan view of a rapid access pouch system in a disassembled configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 19 and 20 are rear and front plan views, respectively, of a rapid access pouch system in an assembled configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a front plan view of a heated cover on a rapid access pouch system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a plan view of a heated cover and a rapid access pouch system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a heating element pocket of a heated cover for a rapid access pouch system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 24 and 25 are front and rear plan views, respectively, of an outer pouch of a rapid access pouch system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The rapidly accessible pouch system of the present invention includes an outer pouch and an inner tray. The outer pouch has a closing mechanism that keeps the outer pouch in a closed configuration and that allows a user to rapidly open the pouch to quickly access the inner tray that is stored inside the outer pouch. The outer pouch may have outer storage pockets that do not interfere with access to the inner tray. The inner tray may include storage pockets, elastic restraining straps, or the like for holding items in place on the inner tray. When the inner tray is rapidly removed from the outer pouch, the items on the inner tray are retained in place.

The invention is described by reference to various elements herein. It should be noted, however, that although the various elements of the inventive apparatus are described separately below, the elements need not necessarily be separate. The various embodiments may be interconnected and may be cut out of a singular block or mold. The variety of different ways of forming an inventive apparatus, in accordance with the disclosure herein, may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Generally, one or more different embodiments may be described in the present application. Further, for one or more of the embodiments described herein, numerous alternative arrangements may be described; it should be appreciated that these are presented for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting of the embodiments contained herein or the claims presented herein in any way. One or more of the arrangements may be widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as may be readily apparent from the disclosure. In general, arrangements are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice one or more of the embodiments, and it should be appreciated that other arrangements may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. Particular features of one or more of the embodiments described herein may be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments or figures that form a part of the present disclosure, and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific arrangements of one or more of the aspects. It should be appreciated, however, that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments or figures with reference to which they are described. The present disclosure is neither a literal description of all arrangements of one or more of the embodiments nor a listing of features of one or more of the embodiments that must be present in all arrangements.

Headings of sections provided in this patent application and the title of this patent application are for convenience only and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any way.

Devices and parts that are connected to each other need not be in continuous connection with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices and parts that are connected with each other may be connected directly or indirectly through one or more connection means or intermediaries.

A description of an aspect with several components in connection with each other does not imply that all such components are required. To the contrary, a variety of optional components may be described to illustrate a wide variety of possible embodiments and in order to more fully illustrate one or more embodiments. Similarly, although process steps, method steps, or the like may be described in a sequential order, such processes and methods may generally be configured to work in alternate orders, unless specifically stated to the contrary. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be described in this patent application does not, in and of itself, indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of described processes may be performed in any order practical. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously despite being described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described after the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not imply that the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to one or more of the embodiments, and does not imply that the illustrated process is preferred. Also, steps are generally described once per aspect, but this does not mean they must occur once, or that they may only occur once each time a process, or method is carried out or executed. Some steps may be omitted in some embodiments or some occurrences, or some steps may be executed more than once in a given aspect or occurrence.

When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that more than one device or article may be used in place of a single device or article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that a single device or article may be used in place of the more than one device or article.

The functionality or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices that are not explicitly described as having such functionality or features. Thus, other embodiments need not include the device itself.

Techniques and mechanisms described or referenced herein will sometimes be described in singular form for clarity. However, it should be appreciated that particular embodiments may include multiple iterations of a technique or multiple instantiations of a mechanism unless noted otherwise. Alternate implementations are included within the scope of various embodiments in which, for example, functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art.

Overview

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a rapid access pouch system that includes an outer pouch and an inner tray. The outer pouch has a closing mechanism that keeps the outer pouch in a closed configuration and that allows a user to rapidly open the pouch to quickly access the inner tray that is stored inside the outer pouch. The outer pouch may have outer storage pockets that do not interfere with access to the inner tray. The inner tray may include storage pockets, elastic restraining straps, or the like for holding items in place on the inner tray. When the inner tray is rapidly removed from the outer pouch, the items on the inner tray are retained in place.

The rapid access pouch system can be removably affixed to belts, bags, backpacks, in vehicles, or on military clothing or gear. The rapid access pouch system is utilized to maximize space allocation in a low-profile design that allows for one-handed rapid access to the inner contents of the outer pouch. The outer pouch can be slick (no sewn on items or webbing), have sewn MOLLE or other similar style objects for affixing webbing or loops, or be sewn with pouches to hold items such as ammunition magazines in a military application. The inner contents are organized on a semi-rigid pack tray that maintains retention of the objects when removed from the outer pouch.

The closure mechanism of the outer pouch facilitates rapid one-handed single motion access and removal of the inner pack tray. The closure mechanism may include magnets, snaps, hook and loop tape, a weaved cord closure, or the like. The closure mechanism allows for instant opening when the safety pull and the inner tray handle are pulled.

The inner tray has a handle that extends beyond the closure of the outer pouch and the opening of the outer pouch can be from the top, bottom, or either side. The inner tray handle has an affixed safety pull that prevents unintentional deployment of the pack tray or its contents. The safety pull is removably attached to the outer pouch by magnets, snaps, hook and loop tape, or the like, to accommodate one handed single motion removal of the inner tray from the outer pouch.

Apparatus

FIG. 1 illustrates a rapid access pouch system 100 in accordance with the present invention. The system 100 includes an outer pouch 102, an inner tray 104, and an optional tourniquet carrier 106. The inner tray 104 is sized and shaped to fit within the outer pouch 102 and to be rapidly removed from the outer pouch 102. The inner tray 104 is depicted in FIG. 1 with items 178 attached thereto. The tourniquet carrier 106 is configured to be attached to one of the sides of the outer pouch 102.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the system 100 in an assembled configuration where the inner tray 104 is disposed within the outer pouch 102 and the tourniquet carrier 106 is attached to one of the sides of the outer pouch 102. FIGS. 2 and 3 also show ammunition magazines 124 secured in place in outer storage pockets 122 of the outer pouch 102.

The outer pouch 102 will be discussed in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1-9 . The outer pouch 102 includes an inner storage compartment 110 (shown in FIG. 8 ) having inner dimensions that are slightly larger than the inner tray 104. That is, the width and height of the inner storage compartment 110 are slightly larger than the width and height, respectively, of the inner tray 104. The outer pouch 102 includes a front surface 112, a back surface 114, two closed side surfaces 116, an open end 118, and a closed end 120 that define the inner storage compartment 110.

The back surface 114 of the outer pouch 102 includes an attachment mechanism for attaching the outer pouch 102 to a garment, belt, backpack, or the like. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the attachment mechanism on the back surface 114 of the other pouch 102 includes a plurality of straps 113. Using the straps 113, the outer pouch 102 may be attached to a MOLLE system. The invention is not limited to the attachment mechanism depicted in FIG. 1 , and the attachment mechanism may additionally or alternatively include loops, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, or the like. In some examples, a system 100 of the present invention can attach to any standard MOLLE affixed surface as well as a standard utility belt.

The open end 118 of the outer pouch 102 is moveable between an open configuration (shown in FIG. 8 ) and a closed configuration. As such, the outer pouch 102 includes a closing mechanism that is operably adapted for converting the outer pouch 102 between the open configuration and the closed configuration. The closure mechanism secures the rapidly accessible outer pouch 102 in a closed configuration, thereby securing items within. The closure mechanism may include an opening mechanism for quickly and easily moving the rapidly accessible outer pouch 102 from the closed configuration to the open configuration, thereby providing quick and easy access to items within. The closing mechanism preferably facilitates one-handed engagement and activation. The closing mechanism may include hook and loop fasteners 132 (as shown in FIG. 4 ), snaps 134 (as shown in FIG. 5 ), magnets (not shown), clips (not shown), hooks (not shown), a rip cord system 140 (shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B), or the like. Any closing mechanism may be used to secure the outer pouch 102 in the closed position, as long as the closing mechanism may be quickly and easily operated by a user wearing the rapid access pouch system 100 to open the pouch 102.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the closing mechanism that includes the rip cord system 140 includes cables 142, a pull tab 144, and a retaining cord 146. The cables 142 are woven through offset tabs 150 around the perimeter of the open end 118 of the outer pouch 102 when the outer pouch 102 is in a closed configuration, as shown in FIG. 6B. The cables 142 may be, for example, vinyl coated metal cables that have some flexibility when sufficient force is applied, but that have enough rigidity to remain in place when woven through the offset tabs 150. To open the outer pouch 102, the pull tab 144 is pulled away from the outer pouch 102 to remove the cables 142 from the offset tabs 150. The rip cord system 140 is fixedly coupled to the outer pouch 102 with the retaining cord 146. The retaining cord 146 is fixedly coupled to the outer pouch 102 at one end and fixedly coupled to the pull tab 144 and/or the cables 142 at the other, opposite end of the retaining cord 146. In this manner, the rip cord system 140 does not become separated from the porch system 100 and potentially get lost in the field.

The outer pouch 102 includes outer storage pockets 122 coupled to the front surface 112 thereof. The outer storage pockets 122 include openings 152 through which items are inserted into, or retrieved out of, the outer storage pockets 122. For example, the outer storage pockets 122 may be magazine carriers that are configured to carry and rapidly access one or more tactical items, such as standard 30 round rifle magazines. The outer storage pockets 122 are depicted as being sized and shaped for holding magazines of ammunition 124. However, it will be well understood that the outer storage pockets 122 may be any desired size and shape.

Retaining mechanisms 156, such as stretchy elastic cords, are coupled to the openings 152 of the outer storage pockets 122 for securing items in place in the outer storage pockets 122. The stretchy elastic cords 156 depicted in FIGS. 2-5 include pull tabs 158 that are used for pulling the elastic cords 156 away from the magazines 124 when the magazines 124 are inserted into or removed from the outer storage pockets 122. It will be readily appreciated that other retaining mechanisms may be used instead of the elastic cords. For example, the retaining mechanisms adjacent to the openings 152 on the storage pockets 122 may include flaps, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, drawstrings, magnets, or the like.

Notably, the openings 152 of the outer storage pockets 122 are adjacent to the closed end 120 of the outer pouch 102. In other words, the openings 152 of the outer storage pockets 122 and the open end 118 of the outer pouch 102 face in opposite directions. If a user is wearing the pouch system 100 with the openings 152 of the outer storage pockets 122 facing upwards (towards the user's head), then the open end 118 of the outer pouch 102 will be facing downwards (towards the user's feet). In this manner, the inner tray 104 can quickly and easily be removed from the outer pouch 102 by pulling downwards on the inner tray 104 when the outer pouch 102 is in the open configuration. In other examples, discussed in more detail below, forcefully pulling on the inner tray 104 forces the outer pouch 102 into the open configuration. Since the outer pouch opening 118 and the openings 152 of the outer storage pockets 122 face away from each other, removing the inner tray 104 does not interfere with the items 124 in the outer storage pockets 122. Similarly, accessing the items 124 in the outer storage pockets 122 does not interfere with the inner tray 104.

In one example, shown in FIGS. 10-12 , the outer pouch 102 includes a scissors storage pocket 160 between one of the outer storage pockets 122 and the front surface 112 of the outer pouch 102. The opening 162 of the scissors storage pocket 160 is adjacent to the open end 118 of the outer pouch 102. The opening 162 of the scissors storage pocket 160 is adjacent to the closed end of the outer storage pocket 122 and opposite of the opening 152 of the outer storage pocket 122. The scissors storage pocket 160 includes a scissors strap 164 fixedly coupled thereto. A user may pull out the scissors strap 164 to remove the scissors 166 from the scissors storage pocket 160, as shown in FIG. 11 . The scissors strap 164 facilitates removal of the scissors 166 from the pocket 160 in a quick and easy manner even in extreme cold conditions. In some situations, the user's hands may be extremely cold or may be covered with gloves or mittens. In these situations, it would be advantageous for the user to have the scissors strap 164 to assist with removing the scissors 166 from the pocket 160.

One or both of the side surfaces 116 of the outer pouch 102 may include straps, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, or the like for attaching to the tourniquet carrier 106. Similar to the scissors strap 164, the tourniquet carrier 106 may also include a tourniquet access strap 194 for quickly and easily pulling the tourniquet 192 out of the carrier 106. FIGS. 13 and 14 depict the tourniquet carrier 106 and the tourniquet access strap 194. FIG. 13 shows the tourniquet carrier 106 in an open configuration with the tourniquet kit 192 and the tourniquet access strap 194 positioned in the tourniquet carrier 106. Pulling the tourniquet access strap 194 away from the tourniquet carrier 106 causes the tourniquet kit 192 to come out of the tourniquet carrier 106, as shown in FIG. 14 .

The inner tray 104 of the pouch system 100 will be discussed in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 15-17 . The inner tray 104 includes a semi-rigid base 170, a first surface 172 (shown in FIG. 15 ), and a second surface 174 (shown in FIG. 16 ) opposite to the first surface 172. Each one of the first and second surfaces 172, 174 includes a plurality of elastic straps 176 for retaining items in place on the inner tray 104. In addition to, or in place of, the elastic straps 176, the inner tray 104 may include other retention mechanisms, such as pockets, hook and loop fasteners, and the like. FIG. 1 depicts the first surface 172 of the inner tray 104 with a plurality of items 178 removably attached thereto. The inner tray 104 can hold any variety of different sets or kits. For example, the inner tray 104 may be configured to hold first aid kits, blood donor kits, landing zone kits, squad leader kits, specialized ammo kits, and/or the like.

The retention mechanisms on the inner tray 104 may be customized to hold specific types of equipment or kits, depending on the needs of the user. For example, the retention mechanisms on the inner tray 104 may be specifically designed to hold first aid kits, blood donor kits, landing zone kits, squad leader kits, specialized ammo kits, and/or the like. One of the advantages of the rapid access pouch system 100 is that the inner tray 104 can be quickly and easily swapped out for a different inner tray 104 having different items secured thereto. For example, an inner tray 104 having a first aid kit secured thereto can be quickly and easily swapped out for a different inner tray 104 having a squad leader kit secured thereto. As such, a user can quickly and easily change the items they are carrying by swapping out the inner tray 104 for a different inner tray 104 without removing the outer pouch 102.

The inner tray 104 further comprises a handle 180. When the inner tray 104 is positioned within the outer pouch 102, as shown in FIG. 9 , the handle 180 of the inner tray 104 protrudes out of the open end 118 of the outer pouch 102. The handle 180 protruding out of the open end 118 of the outer pouch 102 is also depicted in FIGS. 2, 4-6A, and 7 . In this manner, when a user wants to remove the inner tray 104 from the outer pouch 102 in order to access the items 178 attached to the inner tray 104, the user may operate the closing mechanism to open the outer pouch 102 and then grasp the handle 180 and quickly pull the inner tray 104 out of the outer pouch 102. In some examples, the force of pulling on the handle 180 is sufficient for opening the outer pouch 102. For example, if the closing mechanism includes hook and loop fasteners or snaps, forcefully pulling on the handle 180 may cause the outer pouch 102 to open. Thus, opening the outer pouch 102 and removing the inner tray 104 happen concurrently.

The inner tray 104 may further include a safety pull 184 fixedly attached thereto, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 7 . The safety pull 184 is depicted as being attached to the handle 180, but may alternatively be attached to the base 170 of the inner tray 104. When the inner tray 104 is positioned inside the outer pouch 102, the safety pull 184 may be removably attached to the outer pouch 102 with a snap, hook and loop fastener, magnet, or the like. In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the removable coupling between the safety pull 184 and the outer pouch 102 is a snap, but the invention is not limited to a snap. The safety pull 184 ensures that the inner tray 104 does not inadvertently become disengaged from the outer pouch 102. Rather, a user must intentionally disengage the safety pull 184 from the outer pouch 102 in order to remove the inner tray 104 from the outer pouch 102.

The base 170 of the inner tray 104 is made of a semi-rigid material so that the base 170 maintains its shape, but can be forced into a curved shape if needed. For example, the base 170 may include a semi-rigid plastic insert covered in material and the elastic straps 176 may be sewn or otherwise attached to the material. The inner tray 104 may further include a leg strap 190 so that after the inner tray 104 is removed from the outer pouch 102, the inner tray 104 may be strapped to the user's leg or another curved surface. The leg strap 190 and the curved surface are depicted in FIG. 17 .

In another example, shown in FIGS. 18-20 , a rapid access pouch system 200 is configured for being attached to a belt 201. The pouch system includes an outer pouch 202, an inner pouch 204, and an optional tourniquet carrier 206.

The outer pouch 202 includes a front surface 210 having outer storage pockets 222 coupled thereto. The tourniquet carrier 206 may be removably coupled to the front surface 210 of the outer pouch 202. The outer pouch 202 also has a back surface 212 that includes loops 232 fixedly coupled thereto. The loops 232 are sized and shaped for allowing a belt 201 to pass therethrough. Thus the belt 201 is disposed between the loops 232 and the back surface 212 of the outer pouch 202. The outer pouch 202 further includes a closed top surface 214, a closed bottom surface 216, and open side surfaces 218.

The inner pouch 204 includes handles 280 that protrude out of the open side surfaces 218 when the inner pouch 204 is positioned in the outer pouch 202. The inner storage compartment of the outer pouch 204 is only slightly larger than the outside dimensions of the inner pouch 204. As such, the inner pouch 204 is retained inside the outer pouch 202 with a friction fit engagement. The inner pouch 204 is removed from the outer pouch 202 by pulling sideways on one of the handles 280 with enough force to overcome the friction fit engagement.

Referring now to FIGS. 21-23 , the rapid access pouch system 100 may also include a heated cover 302 for keeping the gear stored in the system 100 from getting too cold. The heated cover 302 may be removably attached to the outer pouch 102 using any attachment mechanism 304. For example, the heated cover 302 may be attached to the outer pouch 102 with snaps (as shown), hook and loop fasteners, magnets, buttons, hooks, clips, or the like. The heated cover 302 includes pouches 306 configured for holding heating elements therein. For example, oxygen activated warming cells may be removably positioned in the pouches 306 as needed. By using the heated cover 302, the rapid access pouch system 100 can effectively be used in extreme low temperature conditions.

Referring now to FIGS. 24 and 25 , another example of an outer pouch 402 of a rapid access pouch system 400 is described. The outer pouch 402 shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 is substantially similar to the outer pouch 102 shown in FIGS. 1-9 , except that the outer pouch 402 has a plurality of straps 413 for attaching to a MOLLE system on the front surface 412. The back surface 414 of the outer pouch 402 also includes a plurality of straps 415 for attaching to a MOLLE system. As such, rather than having a plurality of straps on a back surface and outer storage pockets on a front surface (as in previous embodiments), the outer pouch 402 includes a plurality of straps 413, 415 on both the front and rear surfaces 412, 414.

Additional Considerations

As used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Some embodiments may be described using the expression “coupled” and “connected” along with their derivatives. For example, some embodiments may be described using the term “coupled” to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. The term “coupled,” however, may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other. The embodiments are not limited in this context.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will appreciate additional alternative structural and functional designs for a system and a process for creating an interactive message through the disclosed principles herein. Thus, while particular embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein. Various apparent modifications, changes and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation and details of the method and apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A rapid access pouch system comprising: an outer pouch comprising an inner storage compartment defined by a front surface, a back surface, two closed side surfaces, an open end, and a closed end; and an inner tray that is sized and shaped to fit within the inner storage compartment, wherein the inner tray is semi-rigid, wherein the inner tray comprises a handle that protrudes out of the open end of the inner storage compartment when the inner tray is positioned inside the outer pouch, and wherein the open end of the outer pouch comprises a closing mechanism operably adapted for rapidly converting the outer pouch between an open configuration and a closed configuration.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one outer storage pocket fixedly attached to the front surface of the outer pouch, wherein the at least one outer storage pocket has an opening adjacent to the closed end of the outer pouch.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one outer storage pocket on the outer pouch is sized and shaped to hold a magazine of ammunition.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one outer storage pocket comprises a retaining mechanism for holding the magazine in place in the outer storage pocket.
 5. The system of claim 2, further comprising a scissors pouch that is sized and shaped for holding a pair of scissors therein and that has an opening adjacent to the open end of the outer pouch, wherein the scissors pouch is positioned between the at least one outer storage pocket and the front surface of the outer pouch.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the inner tray further comprises a plurality of elastic straps fixedly coupled to a base to create a plurality of elastic loops that are sized and shaped to hold a plurality of items in place on the inner tray.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the closing mechanism comprises at least one of: a rip cord, snaps, magnets, and a hook and loop closure.
 8. The system of claim 1, the outer pouch further comprises a plurality of offset tabs around a perimeter of the open end, wherein the closing mechanism comprises a rip cord system having a rip cord, a pull tab, and a retaining cord, and wherein the rip cord is woven through the offset tabs when the outer pouch is in the closed configuration.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the rip cord system is fixedly attached to the outer pouch with the retaining cord.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the outer pouch transitions from the closed configuration to the open configuration by pulling the pull tab to remove the rip cord from the offset tabs.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the back surface of the outer pouch comprises an attachment mechanism configured for attaching the outer pouch to a belt or a garment.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a plurality of straps configured for attaching the outer pouch to a MOLLE system.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a plurality of loops fixedly coupled to the back surface of the outer pouch, wherein the plurality of loops are configured for removably coupling the outer pouch to a belt.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the inner tray further comprises a strap that is sized and shaped for wrapping around a user's leg so that the inner tray is configured to be removably attached to the user's leg.
 15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a tourniquet carrier.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the tourniquet carrier is removably attached to one of the side surfaces of the outer pouch.
 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the outer pouch comprises a plurality of outer storage pockets, and wherein each one of the outer storage pockets is sized and shaped to hold a magazine of ammunition.
 18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a safety pull that is fixedly coupled to the inner tray and configured to be removably coupled to the outer pouch. 